Short Summary

Unrest in the Malagasy Republic continued late this week as students in the African island state pressed on with their demands for educational reforms and nationalisation of industry, agriculture and commerce.

Description

Unrest in the Malagasy Republic continued late this week as students in the African island state pressed on with their demands for educational reforms and nationalisation of industry, agriculture and commerce. On Friday (May 19), newly-appointed military Prime Minister General Gabriel Ramanantsoa, who has been given full executive powers by President Philibert Tsiranana, refused student demands for the President's resignation. President Tsiranana has been his country's leader since before independence from France in 1960.

The hand-over of the island to General Ramanantsoa, who almost immediately announced his intention to form a purely military government, came after rioting last weekend when thirty-four people were killed and 170 injured. The town hall in the capital, Tananarive, was burnt down and t???ns of thousands of people demonstrated in the streets in support of the students.

This film, shot the day before the General's appointment to power on Thursday (May 18), is one of the few to come out of the Republic since the violence began.

SYNOPSIS: Unrest continued in the Malagasy Republic during the week as students pressed on with their demands for educational reforms and nationalisation of industry, commerce and agriculture.

The previous weekend, a student strike after months of unrest erupted into bloody violence--in which thirty-four people died and one hundred and seventy were injured.

The Town Hall in Tananarive, the capital, was burned down, cars were set on fire, and tens of thousands of people demonstrated in the streets in support of the students when student leaders were arrested in violent clashes with police and troops. The day after this film was shot--it's one of the few to come out of the Republic since the violence began--President Philibert Tsiranana handed over full executive powers to General Gabriel Ramanantsoa, also appointing him Prime Minister.

The General almost immediately said he would form a purely military government, and then refused student demands for the resignation of President Tsiranana--who's been the African island's leader since before independence from France in 1960.